New Delhi: Lars Balk is aware of a factor or two about enjoying membership hockey. Having represented Utrecht-based SV Kampong – the second oldest hockey membership within the Netherlands – for a decade, the mighty Dutch defender is adept switching from the nationwide facet to membership virtually each week, adapting to new teammates, coaches, techniques and techniques.
Lars Balk, offered at ₹40 lakh to UP Rudras, grew to become the costliest abroad non drag-flicking defender offered on the HIL public sale (FIH)
However the returning Hockey India League (HIL), beginning December 28 in Rourkela, can be very completely different, reckons the 28-year-old. Whereas Dutch golf equipment have worldwide illustration, it’s largely European which received’t be the case at his membership, UP Rudras, which has a way more cosmopolitan look.
“The biggest challenge for every team in the HIL will be to take the 24 players, who don’t know each other, and make one strong team. But I still believe with Paul van Ass, we have a coach who can do it best,” Balk stated from the Netherlands.
Balk can be reunited with former India coach van Ass of the Netherlands, who led the Dutch girls to gold on the Paris Olympics. He can even be joined by Dutch teammate Floris Wortelboer within the squad.
“I spoke with our head coach Paul, with my teammate Floris Wortelboer and have also had chats with (skipper) Hardik Singh and (England’s) Sam Ward. This is the first time I will be playing HIL and I’m really happy that the event is back. It was special to be picked up in the auction,” stated Balk.
At ₹40 lakh, Balk was the costliest abroad non drag-flicking defender offered on the public sale in October. Often called the “vacuum cleaner” for his work on the again, Balk is among the best defenders in hockey at present. His power on the ball, defensive abilities and talent to thwart assaults of the very best strikers on the planet make him the primary choose within the 11 for any coach on the planet.
For the nationwide facet, Balk helped the Netherlands win silver on the 2018 World Cup and bronze on the 2023 version. However his second of glory got here this 12 months when he was on the centre of Netherlands successful the boys’s hockey gold on the Paris Olympics in August.
He was particularly at his finest within the ultimate in opposition to Germany the place he halted a number of assaults from Niklas Wellen, Christopher Ruhr and Thies Prinz at hand Holland their first Olympic gold since Sydney 2000. Balk additionally helped the Dutch win the EuroHockey Championship, essentially the most aggressive hockey event on the planet, in 2021 and 2023.
On the membership degree, he helped Kampong win the Hoofdklasse – the elite division of hockey within the Netherlands in 2023-24 – making the membership the third most profitable after Bloemendaal and Amsterdam.
After enjoying continuous hockey, Balk, who has 142 worldwide caps, determined to take a break from the nationwide workforce and can be making a comeback within the HIL.
He has additionally seen the Indian workforce progress from ending final within the 2012 London Olympics to successful successive medals on the 2021 and 2024 Video games. However, Balk stated, there are areas nonetheless that may be bettered.
“The Indian players are all very technical and very agile. The steps they take, their footwork is unbelievable. But sometimes they miss being a structured team. I think they can still learn that part of the game. But in the last 6-7 years, they have taken steps in that direction. With their head coach, they have learned to play in structure much more than before,” added the Olympic champion.